Chair



L. -J. zERBEE July 7, 1936.

CHAIR Lo-u is Zerbee @xmmw v f amm,

Filed Feb. 14, 1955 Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES v'PATENT OFFICE'.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a chair and the method of making same, particularly to a sheet metal chair.

The object of this invention is to manufacture `5 a chair from a unitary piece of sheet metal forming the seat and the back, without the use of a separate frame therefor.

Another object of the invention is to make a chair that is cheap, dependable, efficient without sacrificing the appearance and quality.

Another object of the invention is `to reenforce the back and seat of a chair made from a unitary sheet of metal.

r Another object of the invention is to create in the seat and back the appearance of a fabricated seat and back.

With the above primary and other incidental objects 'in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or

their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 discloses a perspective view of the chair.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the back takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the seat taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the back and the seat with the arms and feet removed.

Fig. 5 is afragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 'l--l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is drawn to a smaller scale than Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6 but to a larger scale than Fig. 1.

The seats and backs of metallic chairs in the past have usually been made from several parts assembled upon a frame. In the present structure the seat and back are made from a single sheet of metal, the edgesof which are beaded or corrugated so as to give rigidity 50 thereto without the use of a supporting frame.

After the bead has been formed along the margins of the sheet metal blank this blank has its ends bent at substantially right angles, the forward edge of the seat being formed into a chan- 55 nel. shape. A pair of spring members are formed into substantially U-shape, each having one leg, forming an armrest, attached to the back and the bight attached to the web of the channel integral with the seat, the other legs of the U-shaped members forming a base for the chair.

Both the seat and the back may be suitably perforated and either stamped or decorated to simulate a woven or fabricated seat and back. Referring more specifically to the drawing, the same reference characters are used to designate like parts throughout the several views.

The seat I0 and thel back I2 Iare made from sheet metal blank provided with longitudinal beads I4 and I6 respectively. The bead I4 may be referred to as a three-quarter bead and is provided with a dependent flange I8 which reenforces and strengthens the seat. The bead I6 is substantially circular or tubular and continuous across the top of the back. The forward edge of the seat is bent downwardly and inwardly forming a channel shaped construction 20, best seen in Fig. 6, the reentrant ange 22 thereof extending rearwardly and parallel to the seat. A pair of substantially U-shaped spring members cooperate as arm rests 24 and legs 34 to support the seat and back of the chair. A bracket 25 preferably welded to the arm rest 24 is riveted to the bead I6. In order to reenforce the bead, a ltubular sleeve 28 is mounted within the bead I6 to 'support the rivets 30, holding the rear ends of the arms in a rigid position relative to the beads I6 and the` back I2. Instead of the arms 24 being welded to the brackets 25 the ends may be bent downwardly'and attached to the bead I6 by rivets. The bight of the U-shaped spring members is riveted to the web of the channel 2i! by rivets 36. The other legs 38 of the U-shaped members cooperate to form a convex base upon which the,

chair rests. The legs 38 are held in spaced relation by a pair of brackets 40. Rubber `or re silient cushion members 54, each provided with channels having reentrant flanges 56, are snapped upon the arms 24 to add to the comfort and appearance of the chair. Instead of channel shaped cushions, tubular pieces could be threaded upon the arms.

Instead of the beads bounding the sides of the seat and the top of the back being round, these beads could be fluted or otherwise gured so as` to simulate moldings and -the like. In order to improve the appearance of the seat and the back, rectangular apertures have been arranged in horizontal rows and vertical tiers.

Instead of rectangular, any other suitable con-y figuration for the apertures could be used so that the resulting structure can be made to simulate woven or fabricated material. to the appearance of the seat and back, lines or markings 58 extending longitudinally and transversely along the edges of the holes may be added either by painting or by a. stamping operation so as to add tothe e'ectiveness of the imitation of fabrication. y

In order to add" Method of manufacture tionary roller which cooperates with a movable" roller to bend the back with respect; to the seat so as to secure the proper relation or angle between these parts. The forward channel 20 may be formed by a suitable die operation either before or after the sheet metal is bent from the flat shape into the finished shape. The seat and back are now ready to be assembled upon the legs.

ent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or Sacricing any of its advantages. Y'

While in order to comply with the statute,- the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a metallic chair wherein a unitary seat and back formed from a sheet metal blank is supported upon a pair of supports secured to the seat portion, said supports having an extension of each arranged as arm rests secured to the back portion, the combination including a bead having a substantially circular cross sectional area integral with the seat and back portions extending continuously from one side of the seat, along one side of the back over the top thereof, along the opposite side of the back and seat, means extending downwardly from the beads along the sides of the seat to reinforce the same, and a pair of tubular sleeves mounted within the bead and on opposite sides of the back to reinforce the bead where the arm rest portions are united to the back.

2. A metallic chair wherein a unitary seat and back portion formed from a sheet metal blank are mounted upon a supporting structure, in-

cluding a bead having a substantially circular cross sectional area for a portion thereof, said bead being integral with .the seat and back portion and extending continuously from and along one side of the seat, along the adjacent side and over the top of the back portion and along the ,opposite side of the back and seat portion, the bead portions along the side portions of the seat merging into a downwardly extending flange portion reinforcing the seat.

3. A metallic chair having a pair of support- 'ing members lxedly attached to a unitary seat and back portion, characterized by the seat and back portions having ornamentations therein and terminating in a reinforcing bead integral From the above description it will be appar' therewith, said bead extending continuously along one side of the seat continuing along the adjacent side of the back portion, over the top thereof, along the opposite side of the back and along the opposite side of the seat, the bead being substantially circular in cross sectional area along portions of the back and merging into a downwardly projecting flange extending downwardly from the seat to reinforce the same. 4. In a metallic chair wherein unitary seat and back portions formed from a sheet metal blank are supported upon a supporting base attached thereto characterized by the'unitary seat and back portions, formed from a sheet metal blank, terminating in a continuous bead extending along one side of the seat portion, along the adjacent side of the back portion,'over the top thereof and along the opposite side of the back portion and the seat portion, the cross sectional area of the bead 'across the top being substantially circular, the bead along .the sides of the seat portion merging into a flange projecting in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the seat and extending upwardly along the margins of the back portion to reinforceI the angular relation between the seat and back portions.

5. A metallic chair wherein integral back and seat portions formed from a unitary sheet blank are supported upon a base attached thereto characterized by the opposite side margins of the seat and back portions and the top of the back portion being formed intoI a continuous marginal bead having in at least portions thereof a substantially circular cross sectional area, the front of the seat portions merging into a downwardly projecting flange to which the base is attached, the beaded portion extending'along the sides of the seat portion merging in flanges extending in planes normal to the plane of the rst downwardly extending flange, and merging at the rear of the seat portion into `the bead extending along the sides of the back portion to reinforce the juncture of the seat portion to the back portion.

.6. A metallic chair wherein a unitary seat and back portion formed from a sheet metal blank is mounted upon a supporting structure, including a bead having a portion arcuate in cross sectional area, said bead being integral with the seat and back portion 'and extending continuously from and along one side of the seat, along the adjacent side and over the top of the back portion and along the opposite side of the back and seat portion, the bead portions along the side portions of the seat merging into a downwardly extending flange portion reenforcing the seat. 7. A metallic chair having a pair of supporting members attached to a unitary seat and back portion, characterized by the seat and back portion having ornamentations therein and terminating in a reenforcing bead integral therereenforcing the same.

" LOUIS J. ZERBEE. 

